Reinforced structures are known which bridge across reinforced members, such as bracing and diagonal bracing between two mutually contacting structural members such as posts, studs, ground sills, beams, and girths in wooded post and beam buildings, lumber in wood frame construction buildings, and steel beams in steel frame buildings. For instance, as shown in FIG. 10, reinforcing structures are known where reinforced wood or metal members 103 such as horizontal angle braces bridge across one structural member 101 and another structural member 102, and both ends of these reinforced members 103 are fixed to the structural members 101, 102 to reinforce the building.
Buildings which have these reinforcing structures have better quake resistance than building structures which do not have reinforcing members installed.
In order to further increase quake resistance performance using an anti-vibrational structure in buildings using reinforced structures, Japanese Patent Applications 2001-287022 and 2001-287023 have been proposed.
The reinforcing structure of the invention according to Japanese Patent Application 2001-287022 is made by fixing a reinforcing member made from spring steel between one structural member and another structural member. Furthermore, the reinforcing structure of the invention according to Japanese Patent Application 2001-287023 is made by fixing a reinforcing member between one structural member and another structural member, and synthetic resin foam is fixed in compression in the space formed between the structural members and the reinforcing members.
Reinforcing structures according to the above invention are one type of flexible quake resistance reinforcing structure, and the reinforcing members made from spring steel or synthetic resin foam can absorb the structural member deformation energy when the building vibrates and the structural members deform because of earthquakes, traffic vibration, or strong winds or the like, reducing twisting deformation or the like, and increasing the durability of the building.
The reinforcing structures of the aforementioned Patent Applications 2001-287022 and 2001-287023 can absorb the structural member deformation energy, but if the vibration and shaking applied to the building is too large, the damping effect which reduces the structural member deformation will be insufficient, and the recovery forces for suppressing deformation and recovering to the proper position will also be insufficient.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a reinforcing structure for buildings which can favorably absorb and dampen vibration energy when a building vibrates because of earthquakes, traffic vibration, and strong winds or the like, suppress structural member deformation of the building caused by vibration, quickly relieve structural member deformation, and restore the structural member to the original condition.
Furthermore, another objective of the present invention is to provide a reinforcing member for buildings which has excellent energy damping effect and excellent recovery force for structural member deformation.